The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

The month of February is filled with celebrations – Valentine’s Day and Fat Tuesday /Mardi Gras are both celebrated with special treats and offerings that we only indulge in once a year. With our New Year’s resolutions not too far behind us, keeping your weight goals on track can still be accomplished even with all the sweet temptations.

Chocolate is a huge market –over $75 billion is spent worldwide on this dark treat every year. However, not all chocolate is created equal, and the health benefits of the different varieties are an important distinction. Highly processed and sweetened chocolate treats offer very little benefit, but dark chocolate and cacao nibs provide an impressive list of health advantages.

Before the advent of chocolate as a yummy treat, it was prized and used more for its medicinal properties. Now, the healthcare community is circling back to understanding how chocolate can yield positive benefits. Dark chocolate yields high levels of magnesium, zinc, copper, potassium and iron, among other minerals that our bodies need for optimal health and performance.

Here are three delicious reasons to indulge in some dark chocolate this month:

• Heart Health. February is also Heart Health month, and how better to celebrate than with a delicious food proven to improve heart health. The flavanols in dark chocolate are proven to help lower blood cholesterol and improve blood flow to the heart and the brain. They can also help reduce the risk of stroke by making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot.
• Free Radicals. It might be too much to call dark chocolate a superhero, but it does have the ability to fight free radicals. Dark chocolate contains two groups of antioxidants: flavonoids and polyphenols. The cocoa in dark chocolate contains the highest content of these antioxidants (even more than wine!) so the higher the percentage of dark chocolate in your special treat, the more antioxidants introduced in your body to fight against the free radicals.

Dark chocolate actually has higher levels of antioxidants than many fruits dubbed as “superfoods”, like blueberries, acai berries and cranberries. Pomegranates do edge out chocolate in this category, but you can find lots of treats that combine these two delights into one sweet treat.

• Brain Boost. A 2009 study in the Journal of Nutrition demonstrated that dark chocolate has the ability to improve cognitive function, specifically in the elderly population. The flavanols in dark chocolate are associated with increased blood flow to the brain which could reduce dementia and stroke – conditions that can be caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. It can also help you focus and concentrate if your mind is wandering.

So how do you decipher the percentages of dark chocolate on a label? The percentage noted on a chocolate bar will tell you how much of the bar (by weight) is made from pure cacao beans. Also included can be things like cocoa butter, which makes the chocolate creamier. The higher the percentage, the less sweet the chocolate will taste, and the richer the chocolate flavor will be. For example, a chocolate bar that says “80% cacao” means that there is 20% of sugar in the bar, so there will be a more intense chocolate flavor and the taste will be less sweet. Experts tell us that in order to reap the benefits of the flavonoids and polyphenols, you want to choose a dark chocolate treat that is at least 70% cacao.

With all the health benefits of dark chocolate, you shouldn’t be surprised that a square of dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth can actually be a good thing! We cannot abandon the fruits and vegetables in our diet in lieu of dark chocolate (enjoy it in moderation!) but this Valentine’s Day, you can treat yourself without guilt and the knowledge that you are doing something good for your body.